The size of communication networks in terms of the number of nodes they include have increased rapidly in recent years. One type of communication network where this trend is especially strong is the cellular network.
One reason for this growth is the reduction in size of some network nodes, such as base stations. Base stations can nowadays be fairly small and cover a small area. This allows great flexibility in the networks but also puts high demands on them.
When the number of nodes is increasing it is difficult to track that a change has been made to a specific node.
One area where the change to a node may be a problem is the area of identifying the node.
In a communication network there is a need to give each node a unique identification/address to enable individual communication with each unit. Several methods exist to achieve this automatically.
In some systems there is also a need to identify exactly where a module that forms this node is located, or in other words the unit identity must contain location information and not only a unique node-address. One example of such a system is a radio access system consisting of a number of Radio Base Stations (RBS), where the RBS locations must be known for radio frequency (RF) network planning.
A radio access network can be built with many different RBS types, from Macro to Pico/Femto types. Significant for the Macro types are that they are few in numbers and located at large distances from each other. Another significant aspect of a Macro RBS is that it comprises a number of replaceable modules, and that it is connected to an external antenna. These types of RBS often require skilled field operators for installation and commissioning.
Significant for the Pico/Femto RBS networks is that they can consist of a large number of nodes placed close to each other and each RBS can comprise a single replaceable module including the antenna.
In the Macro network the “skilled field operators” can configure the RBS with necessary placement information needed for identification.
In a Pico/Femto access network, the number of field operators is limited in relation to the number of nodes. Network operators may furthermore not be allowed to service some nodes, especially femto nodes, since they may be the private property of a customer. This means that the location identity handling process must be simplified and robust. Furthermore, the entire RBS can for instance be removed, so when removed nothing is left on the site that can carry the location identity. This means that the location identity may be lost. Because of the limited number of field operators, service personnel and the access problem the location identity may be hard to provide to a new or changed node.
There are also other instances where changes of nodes may need to be registered, for instance if a node is tampered with.
There may thus be several changes to a node and these changes need to taken care of in an orderly fashion. There is thus a need for registering the changes being made in relation to network nodes.